Things to Do

Where to Watch the First Presidential Debate in Washington

Whatever your party affiliation, there’s no need to drink alone for Wednesday night’s first presidential debate.

Find drink specials during the debate at these local restaurants. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

President
Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor
Mitt Romney will face off in their first debate this Wednesday, October 3, at 9 PM. Whether you
intend to chug every time anyone refers to “47 percent,” “Obamacare,” or “my opponent,”
or whether you just need a beer or two to make all that rhetoric easier to swallow,
there are bars aplenty offering specials during the debate.

Wednesday is presidential bingo night at
Ventnor Sports Cafe
, where everyone gets “Obama” and “Mitt!”
bingo cards and hopefully some drinks to go along with them. The debate will be screened
on high-def flat-screens, and everyone lucky enough to score bingo during the evening
will win drink specials and other prizes to go along with the usual Wednesday night
specials (cut-price tacos and $4 Tecate tallboys).

Pony glasses of all 31 draft beers will be $3 at
Bullfeathers
during the debates, which all happen during the bar’s
Pony Express happy hour. The sound will be up throughout the restaurant, as befits
an institution so beloved among Hill staffers.

Busboys & Poets will have the sound on for the debate at all four
locations.

On debate nights at
1331 Lounge

inside the J.W. Marriott, try the “left wings,” chicken wings
with pineapple glaze;
the “right wings” are slathered in Boston honey. Cocktails come
in the form of a Mint
Romney and a Barrockin’ Mai Tai, and everything on the menu
will be $11.06 in honor
of election day. See Best Bites Blog’s roundup for more
election-themed specials.

At
201 Bar
, the debate-watching party starts at 5 PM with
$3 Bud Lights and $4 house wines. Flatbread pizzas go for six bucks as soon as the
show starts, and happy hour drinks specials run all evening.

The
Federalist, the Madison Hotel’s bar, plans to serve some themed
drinks to go along with the debates, which will be played throughout the establishment.

The
Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network will be at
Laporta’s Restaurant
in Alexandria and will be live-tweeting the event using
the hashtag #OccupytheVote.

There’s a $10 cover for each debate event put on by the
Women’s National Democratic Club at their New Hampshire Avenue headquarters. The cash bar will open at 8, and light
hors d’oeuvres will be offered.

Did we miss any debate-watching parties? Let us know in the comments.